


Mutuality

by pickleplum



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-02
Updated: 2014-05-02
Packaged: 2018-01-21 16:25:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1556729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pickleplum/pseuds/pickleplum
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hermann and Archimedes relax together at sunset. </p><p>A crossover between alienfirst's "Drift and Hivemind" AU and my "Athene Noctua" AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mutuality

**Author's Note:**

  * For [alienfirst](https://archiveofourown.org/users/alienfirst/gifts), [BlairRabbit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlairRabbit/gifts).



> Because they threatened to draw something if someone wrote up the idea.

Hermann closes his eyes and relaxes sitting atop the low brick wall surrounding the hillside garden basking in the warm sunset light falling across his face and the bare skin of his arms and chest. A soft breeze off the cove ruffles his hair and tickles the feathers of his partially spread wings.

 _You bound your wings too tightly again today_ , Archimedes chides. _I feel how they ache_. The kaiju gently presses the short-bristled brush through the man’s feathers with a practiced motion of her midlegs. Her long tail curls around her body and rests lightly across his lap.

"It's a necessary evil, I'm afraid," Hermann answers. "I haven't yet found a painless way to hide them." He reaches up to scratch Archimedes' chin where it hovers above his shoulder. She leans into his touch and purrs in her distinctive way.

 _Newton and Tendo do not hide their tattoos and the other kaiju and I do not hide our spots or spines when guests visit_. _Why must only you hide an integral part of yourself_? she asks. The kaiju’s confusion flows through her connection as she continues to groom her partner’s wings.

"There are those who rather they would hide their tattoos," Hermann replies with a smile as he stretches to rub behind the kaiju's ears. "Visitors expect spots and spines on kaiju and recognize Newt and Tendo’s … markings as decorations. My wings are … different." He pauses a moment in thought. "They are neither expected nor decorations. They mark me as something not quite human and not quite monster."

Archimedes hesitates in her brushing and raises her head out of Hermann's reach. He opens his eyes and tilts his head back to meet the kaiju's eyes.

She pricks her ears in curiosity. _You are you as I am I_. _I do not understand this rejection of difference_. _Why do so many others not accept individuality_?

Hermann sighs. "Humans think in terms of 'us' and 'them,' not 'you' and 'I' as you do, Archimedes," he says gently. "I would be 'them' to most people because of my wings. Therefore I hide them to avoid trouble."

Returning to work on Hermann’s feathers, Archimedes lowers her head and heaves her version of a sigh, a gust of warm breath which further musses Hermann's hair. He smiles indulgently and resumes itching the kaiju’s chin.

 _It is good_ , _then_ , _we have this island where you do not have to hide_ , she says, _but you must stop binding yourself so tightly when you leave it_.

He laughs at the kaiju’s reprimand. "That may not be possible, but at least you are here to care for me afterward. Thank you, _liebling_."

Archimedes huffs a affronted breath, but Hermann feels how pleased she is with his appreciation as she continues brushing and he continues scratching.

**Author's Note:**

> Alienfirst posted this on Tumblr and I couldn't resist:
> 
> "I am now thinking of my Archimedes being with Athene Noctua winged!Hermann and just how adorable that would be. Her secondary arms have fairly humanoid hands, so I just see her bothering Newt to teach her how to properly care for Hermann’s feathers or to make sure he doesn’t bind his wings too tight or something. She would be the fretting mother. 'Course then they'd both have these just horrible times where they both feel inadequate and monstrous and their emotions would just fold over them and Newt would be so worried since he cares for Hermann, and Archimedes is practically his own KID, so then he'd be the fretting parent, but he's just not that good at it. I DUNNO MAN, I’M JUST THINKING OF CUTE SHIT TO DRAW OKAY."
> 
> I'm proud to say this is the first 'non-canon' story for the Athene!AU. Hopefully this opens the floodgates. Bring on the AU!AUs and crossovers, people!


End file.
